Beauty and The Beast
by LanaRae
Summary: Clay thought he had escaped having a child, until a girl claiming to be his nineteen year old daughter shows up in Charming. Opie/OC
1. Chapter 1

Beauty and the Beast

Clay thought he had escaped having a child, until a girl claiming to be his nineteen year old daughter shows up in Charming. Opie/OC

I Don't own anything SOA

Beginning in season 2

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><p>Was I really doing this? Driving half way across the country to talk to this guy, Clay Morrow. After nineteen years of snooping in my mother's thing my grandfather finally let his name slip; Two days after we put my mom in the ground.<p>

"ISABELLA GRACE MORROW! You are acting just like Clarence!" my grandpa shook his head at me as I passed him in the front sitting room, his usual sweet tea in his hand.

"Just like who?" his sentence pulling me out of my straight shot out of the front door.

"He was stubborn too, that's why she left him. He would never change, he would never leave Samcro."

I felt my eyebrows push together as he continued talking.

"Gramp, who are you talking about?"

"You're father Grace, Clarence Morrow,"

That was two weeks ago, you'd be surprised who can be hunted down on the internet with three keywords.

Clarence. Morrow. Samcro.

Without a second thought I was in my car with clothes in the back on the highway out of Georgia and straight on the road to California. What would I say to him when I finally saw him?

"Hey I'm your daughter, Grace, tell me where you've been."

Whatever I'd say I needed to think of it fast.

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><p>Other POV<p>

"Who the fuck is ringing the phone at this time of day?" Gemma Morrow muttered as her house phone rang off the hook in the kitchen. She reached in the dark for the light switch trying to light up the room, finally she made her way to the phone.

"This better be good," The dark haired woman almost screamed into the phone, not bothering to say hello.

"Hello, is Clay there?" a southern accent filled the speaker of the telephone.

"Who's asking toots?" Gemma asked the man.

"My name is Andy Anderson.." She snarked at the name, "I have business with Clay, I need to speak with him."

"Look, Clay isn't here, and even if he was he doesn't have business that I don't know about,"

Gemma walked to the wall trying to hang up.

"Wait, I'm Annabelle's father, is this Gemma?"

The name of the woman surprised Gemma, the woman had been the downfall of Clay, and the only reason Clay and she became close was because Anna had left him.

"Anna huh, how is the bitch?" Gemma snarled, becoming more angry by the second.

"She recently passed away," the man took a deep breath. "That is why I'm calling,"

"Why did she leave him something in the will," She interrupted the man, trying to hold in a laugh.

"Yeah, a daughter," This shocked Gemma into silence, a uncommon state for her. "She disappeared two days ago, I think she's on her way there,"

"I'm listening,"

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><p>Grace's POV<p>

What was I doing here?

I must be crazy!

Those negative thoughts were the only thing running through my head as I approached the front door of the house bright and early on a Saturday morning.

After a few deep breaths I finally brought my hand up to the dark wood door, knocking; all that could be heard was my heart beating against my rib cage, and my brain beating against my skull trying to escape. I heard feet creaking on the wood floor and instantly took off down the walk way, speeding for my car.

"Hey Toots! Get your ass back here," A deeper woman's voice stopped me. Instantly I turned around towards the house I was running from. A dark haired woman stood in the doorway smoking a cigarette her other hand on her hip. "I was wondering when you'd show up, come here," she called me close walking over to the lounge chairs. "Well at least you're pretty," she muttered looking me up and down when I got close.

"Thanks, I think" I muttered not really knowing what else to day.

"That's a compliment baby," she tapped the chair beside me. I nodded as I set by her.

"How do you know who I am?" I questioned finally catching my bearings.

"You're pops called," she put out one cigarette and lit up another. "He was worried about you,"

"I don't know why I left," I looked down at my hands scraping away my nail polish with the other.

"Because, curiosity always gets the best of us baby girl," she reached out to me, tucking my hair behind my ear like she'd known me my whole life.

"Are you his wife?" I questioned the woman.

"Yes, names Gemma,"

"Mine's Grace," I attempted to smile at the woman.

"He didn't know, that you're mom was pregnant," I nodded my head, I had figured. "Come on, lets get you something to eat," she stood, but I didn't follow. "He's not here sweet heart," she reached her cold hands out to mine pulling me to my feet.

Before I knew what had happened I was fed and laying across her couch covered up.

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><p>"Who's this?" I heard a man's voice whisper when I finally came to still stretched across Gemma's living room couch.<p>

"That, Jax is you're new sister!" Gemma's voice whispered back in a tone I had learned wasn't as aggressive as I thought.

"What?" the voice muttered back. "Dad had another kid?"

"No Jax, she's clay, look at her," Gem snapped. "How are you doing Op?" I had kept my eyes closed, hoping to get insight on the woman whose couch I was sleeping on.

"I'm doing," the deepest voice I had ever heard made my eyes shoot open, "It will just take time," his voice was quick and smooth.

"Hey Darling," Gemma spoke as she noticed my eyes had opened.

"Hey," I should have looked at her, I might of even tried, but I couldn't keep my eyes off him. I knew just by looking at the two new men in the room whose voice I had heard, both men were tall, but one towered over the other, everything about him was larger than life. He had a bunch of wet hair hanging out of the bottom of a gray beanie that had seen better days, a matching leather vest to the other man, but somehow his looked better, under the vest his sleeves were a red plaid print. He was like a chic lumber jack if that was possible on such a large frame, but that wasn't the most rememberable part of him, it was the look of sadness stretched across his face it was so plain on his face, it could bring bystanders to tears.

"Did you sleep okay? I would of let you have a room, but you were asleep before I could say anything," I couldn't believe how this woman instantly allowed me into her house, fed me and offered me a place to sleep.

"Yes Ma'am, I slept fine, I was just tired I guess,"

"None of that Ma'am bullshit this isn't Georgia," she raised the sides of her mouth, almost in a smile.

"Yes Ma'am, I mean,"

The two men in the room laughed.

"This is my son Jax," she pointed at the smaller of the two, a long haired blonde man with a baby boy face. "And his friend Opie," she nodded at the lumberjack.

"Hey, I'm Grace," I stood up and adjusted my clothes, "I was just leaving," I smiled at the men, feeling the tears weld behind my eyes.

"You're not going anywhere," Gemma stood in front of me as I attempted to walk out of the living room.

"Coming here was a mistake, I know that now," I tried to smile at Gemma.

"Might have been, but you're not leaving," she put her hands firmly on my shoulders. "You're here for good, we take care of our own,"

"I'm old enough to take care of my self,"

"Nineteen is just barley old enough to not choke on food,"

"I've been doing just fine, haven't choked in years,"

"You haven't even met Clay yet," She pushed me when I tired to move forward.

"All the more reason to go, now we can all pretend nothing happened. I was never here and he can go on with his life,"

"Jax tell her she isn't leaving,"

"Listen, what Gemma wants she gets," the blond just shrugged his shoulders.

Soon the front door flew open and a large mountain of a man filled the doorway. He had gray hair cut into a boxy shape, and an sullen face.

"Clay," Gemma said in the man's direction. I believe it was more for my conformation then hers.

"Who is this?" The man seemed to almost buck up in my direction, like he was expecting trouble. I noted he was also wearing the leather vest.

"It seems all those years ago your dear sweet Annabelle left with more than just you're heart,"

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><p>AN: so I haven't written anything in three zillion years, but I've had this idea floating in my head every time I watch SOA.<p>

So this story is going to take place during Season 2 of SOA and somethings are going to be changed, obviously like in most fanfictions.

Also, Opie and Donna didn't have any kids in my little world of imagination.

Let me know what you think, is this even worth continuing?

-LANA


	2. Chapter 2

"Annabelle Anderson?" Clay's dull face shifted to show a confused squint.

"Yeah, about that; What is it with them and double A names?" Gemma also turned to me with a confused face. "Anna Anderson, Andy Anderson," while she questioned me she pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it up.

"I guess they really liked A names, I don't know,"

I think we all were confused, I watched the act play out in the living room in front of me, the large man they claimed was my father was eying me up, probably thinking the same thing I was, he didn't believe it.

"How's your mom?" Clay finally asked breaking the rooms silence, he grabbed the cigarette out of Gem's hand and walked over to a large worn leather chair.

"Dead," I spoke before Gemma could interrupt his question, I knew my pop must have told her. Clay didn't have anything to say to that, but what could he really say, sorry?

"I haven't seen her in twenty years," he continued like he was staring off into space, remembering something.

"Seems like she had her reasons," Jax said for the first time since Clay came home, "Can't really blame her," he muttered but it was loud enough for the whole room to hear. Jax's voice seemed to cause every single muscle in Clay's body to tighten, he now held a death grip on the cigarette between his fingers.

"So what do you want? Money?" Clay asked, his mood shifting.

What did I want? Did I think he was going to scoop me up into his arms and tell me he spent his whole life loving my mom, and now would spend the rest loving me? Or offer me a place to stay as long as I wanted it? I think I just needed to see that he was a real person, the man I had been searching for my whole life, hoping he was out there searching for me.

"No, I don't know what I wanted," I quickly ran out the front door, embarrassing myself, stepping onto the front porch I stopped to take some deep breaths digging in my pockets for my car keys when I heard the screen door slam behind me.

"Hey wait," I didn't need to look to know who was speaking, his deep voice caused goosebumps to form on my arms. I turned to see Opie standing on the porch, looking awkward with my purse in his hand, or more between his finger tips, at arms length.

"Oh thanks," I reached out grabbing the purse and took a few steps more towards the steps.

"That's not why I came out here!" he snapped grabbing the back of my arm, holding tight enough I couldn't get away but not hurting me.

"Clay has been having a hard time lately, actually all of us have," he used his other hand to run down his beard.

"Well I've been having the time of my life," I tried to pull out of his grasp.

"I'm sorry about your mom," he pulled me toward the chairs on the porch Gemma and I had been in earlier.

"Thanks," I yanked my arm out of his grasp and sat in one chair while he sat in the other stroking his beard again.

"What happened to her?" he adjusted his beanie, he definitely was a fidgeter.

"She was killed," I muttered, looking into his large brown eyes.

"My wife was too," he blinked.

"Oh I'm sorry, recently?" I questioned, without thinking I reached out to pull a piece of hair off the shoulder of his plaid shirt.

"Two months ago," he watched my hand pull away from his shoulder.

We didn't have anything else to say on the matter, we just continued to stare at each other. His hair almost had a reddish tone, or what was sticking out from under the hat did; he was a larger build but wasn't chubby, just sturdy.

"What's Sons of Anarchy?" I asked while continuing looking him over.

"It's a motorcycle club," he chuckled, "You're dad is the president,"

"Don't call Clay that," I tried to smile, "Like a real deal club? Or like a hey we all have motorcycle lets ride together club?"

"A real deal, for life club, the men in it are my brothers, I'd give my life for them without a thought," I believed him.

"Men of Mayhem?" I questioned reading all the patches on his vest.

"You're right full of questions," he ignored the question.

"You're staying," Clay snapped through the screen door, not asking.

"Is he always like that?" I tilted my head in his direction.

"Nah, just for the last 33 years," his smile made me feel dizzy.

* * *

><p>"So are you liking it so far?" Tara asked me a we drove over to Jax's to relieve Gemma of babysitting duty. Jax had introduced me to Tara the night I got into Charming, after having a silent dinner with the Morrow's he knew I had to escape, I had burn holes through my skin where Clay had been staring at me. Ever since then Tara and I had stuck together pretty close; I think we were both trying to grasp on for human comfort, she knew to much of what was going on with Samcro and I didn't know enough, over the past two weeks I'd met most of the club, either just a hand shake or a short conversation, mostly I got along with Chibs, his Scottish charm had been laid on extra thick and who could deny that? I also had been subjected to Tig, who for the most part seemed harmless, but usually serial killers did; but it caused the club, Gemma included fits of laughter to see how worked up Clay got when Tig hit on me. But I wasn't sure if it was a fatherly freak out, or maybe fear that I might become attached to one of the guys and choose to become a permanent resident of Charming. I hadn't unpacked my suitcase into the empty dresser and closet in the room I was living in, even though it was going to cause Gemma worry warts, Clay seemed to like it that way, I could grab my suit case at anytime and take off. But after all my exposure to the club I was still living in the dark, I knew they stayed busy but with what I didn't know, but I couldn't help but notice the amount of guns in the club house, and the fact that every member seemed to have a leather set of gloves somewhere on their person most times.<p>

Opie has been M.I.A for the past two weeks, no one, not even his father has seen him, but over the weeks I had learned more of what happened to his wife, Donna, and I couldn't blame him for needed to run, hide out and collect his thoughts, and I almost found it admirable how worried Clay was about Opie.

When we got to Jax's house I waited in the living room for Gemma, not really wanting to play babysitter for the night while Tara went into Abel's room. His house seemed really put together for one man and a baby and I couldn't help but think Gemma had her hand in every part of his life, right down to the clothes his child wore and the food in his refrigerator, her perfectly manicured fingernails were six inches deep in her sons life; sharp pressure I had also began feeling the last few days I'd been here, she offered me a temporary job helping her in the office of the garage and a room in her house for as long as I wanted it, or as long as she wanted me in it.

After Opie left the first night I had began saying my goodbyes to her and thanking her for my lunch when she grabbed my car keys out of my hand, popping my trunk and stealing my suitcase, dragging it to the room I now occupied while Clay and I watched her out the window.

"Well, looks like I don't have a choice," I muttered more to myself not realizing Clay was standing so close behind me.

"She does the same thing to me when I try to leave," Clay said in a joking tone, but neither of us laughed, just stood in awkward silence, like we have continued to do over the past two weeks.

Soon after I popped out of my thought train Tara and Gem came out of Jax's room bitching at each other so I took the opportunity to look my cellphone over like I had never seen one before, trying to find anything to look at other than the arguing woman, hoping they don't ask for my opinion. A chirp was heard out of the small device in my hand for the first time in two weeks.

_'Hey it's Opie I got your number from Jax'_

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, even know I knew nothing about this man. He definitely was easy on the eyes if nothing else. The noise of the woman in the room faded out as I typed my response.

_'Hey, what are you up to?_' I quickly sent back.

My smile only grew as a response almost instantly came back.

_'About 6"4, I'm at Bobby's party, You?'_

_' At Jax's with Gem and Tara,_' I typed back.

"HEY!" Gem's voice ripped me out of my cellular world. "You coming?" she was standing by the door with her jacket on and the keys in her hand.

I nodded my head, carefully putting my cellphone in my pocket and following her out the door to her SUV. Gemma began bitching about Tara as we starting driving down the road, but I couldn't really keep up with what she was saying as I waiting for a chirp from my phone informing me of a text. Finally as we pulled up to a stop sign the sound went off.

_' I can't stop thinking about you,'_

Simple, but before I had time to respond or even think about what the text meant my world turned to the position it had been in for most of the month, upside down.

"Help my baby is Chocking!" a woman frantically yelled to us from Gemma's window and we both jumped out to run to the van behind us, the last thing I remembered was Gem screaming as everything went black.

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><p>'When the world finally came back into light I was either handcuffed or tied to a chain link fence, across the room was Gemma who was struggling to get off her fence.<p>

"Gem?" I yelled across to her not sure what was happening, but I never got a response as a tall man in a mask blocked my view of her.

"You're going to watch what we are going to do to her, so you know exactly what you are going to get next," the masked man spoke, a sentence I don't think I will forget for a hundred years. To soon I realized he was talking to Gemma and not me and I began fighting and kicking while the man unbuttoned and pulled down my jeans.

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><p>AN: Let me know what you think, I'm trying to add in a character without changing to much stuff. But I also needed to find a way to get Grace involved with Samcro business.<p>

Also thank you so much for my first 4 reviewers!

La Vik

LunaEvanna Longbottom

Emmettluver2010

And you number 4


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own anything Sons of Anarchy,btw

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><p>Gun shots were the thing that woke me up from what I was hoping was a nightmare, but I could tell from the pain all over my body that it wasn't. Gemma was yelling out to someone but the words wouldn't register in my brain, everything sounded like I was standing on top of a fire engine with the alarm ringing. I could feel the damp dirty air on my bare lower half and as the door flew open I had the urge to cover myself, but my hands were still chained up to the fence. An older police officer filled the doorway, taking in the scene, which I knew was horrible from the look on his face as he charged towards Gemma. The ringing only seemed to get louder as the twosome walked over to me their mouth moving but nothing processing, every nerve ending in my body ached. Eventually the cop picked my handcuffs that kept me to the fence, catching me before I dropped to the ground, the blood rushing out of my cut up wrists instantly staining his shirt.<p>

Through the ringing I could hear Gemma tell the cop to get us out of here, as the three of us leaned on each other out the door of our prison; the minute the fresh air hit my face it was like my mind checked back in, the ringing dying down to just a buzz behind my brain, as I began taking deep breaths trying to process what had happened.

_'Tell Clay to stop selling to colored,'_

Instantly the fear was gone as anger spread through my body, this had to do with Clay. This happened because of him, because of the club. We were simple pons to get a bigger message across, no one was untouchable; he could get to the most important person to the president of Samcro. I just happened to be in the wrong car at the wrong time.

"You doing okay Doll?," Gemma asked from the front seat after we had been riding for about ten minutes,

"Sure" I muttered, through gritted teeth, I refused to cry as my muscles ached all over my body. I wouldn't give our attackers the satisfaction, wherever they were at.

When we pulled up to Tara's I instantly felt embarrassment, she would know what had happened to us, we were both beat to a pulp, walking horribly slow and along with my matching wounds to Gemma's I didn't have any pants on the but cops jacket, which was long enough to cover my butt and I was dripping blood everywhere out of the marks on my wrist where I had fought to get out of the handcuffs.

Once inside it didn't take but three seconds for Tara to know exactly what happened, tears instantly filling her dark eyes.

"You've got to tell Jax what happened," Tara argued with Gem while she wrapped gauze around my wrists after she had painfully cleaned them. I finally felt a little more myself after I had put on the shorts she had offered me earlier, all I needed was a shower and a nap.

"No," we both snapped to the brunette at the same time, causing her to shake her head.

"Well I can't care for you're wounds and check you out in my living room,"

I knew what she meant by check me out, and I knew very quickly that I didn't want my new friend staring at my lady business, even if it was her own job, especially after what had happened down there.

"I don't need a check out, I'm fine, just a little banged up," I denied the people in the room.

"Both of you need a check up," She wasn't even giving me the satisfaction of an argument.

While they made some scheme up about tests for Abel while she really looked us over I kept replaying the scene from last night over in my head, a sure to be life long nightmare. Every thing that I should of done ran through my head, every kick that should of landed and caused some sort of pain. Nothing had seemed to faze the three attackers, no kicks, no screams, tears or blood, it only seemed to add fuel to their fire. What had Clay done to these men to cause them to need to search out such a sickening warning?

Samcro was definitely more than a motorcycle club, and from this moment on I knew I would spend the rest of my life trying to find out what I had just shed blood for.

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><p>"I'm going to start you both on a round of antibiotics to ward off any s. ," Tara explained to us both while she finished up on Gemma, the words making my stomach drop.<p>

"Grace, you are going to need stitches on you're wrists, then you're good to go," Tara could tell by the force I was tapping my foot against the ground I needed to get out of there.

Soon Wayne, the cops whose name I had finally learned , peaked his head around the door frame, seeking permission to come in while Tara worked on my wrists.

"Clay is in the waiting room," he muttered not meeting our eyes. But both Gemma and I stared bullets into him.

"I told them you were in a car accident, I ran you're SUV into a cement barrier," he continued to explain.

"I don't want to see him yet," she attempted to smooth her already wrinkle free hospital gown down, not wanting us to see her tears.

"They are all out there," Wayne added.

Great all of the Sons were in the waiting room, waiting to hear word on their queen bee, who had brutally been raped in the name of war.

"Of course not, I'll go talk to them," Tara spoke softly to Gem while she finished up my wrist, wrapping both of them in gauze.

"I'll go with you, I got to get out of here," I stood, not listening to the protests in the room, slipping on a black pair of yoga pants and a clean shirt Tara had brought for me. My heart jumped up into my throat when I began looking for my white converse's and saw they were blood stained and splattered, like something off the TV show Dexter.

Bile built when the pain in my lower stomach ten folded as I bent to tied the blood soaked shoelaces.

"Don't you dare leave Charming," Gemma's eyes locked mine for the first time that morning, "I need you here,"

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><p>"She's going to be okay, we are just running a few more tests," I heard Tara talking to Clay as I rounded the corner through the waiting room, hoping none of them would notice me.<p>

"GRACIE!" Tig's voice blew my cover as he ran up to me, causing me to jump out of my skin three feet.

"Tig," I muttered back watching his hands closely as he reached up to touch the band aids and stitch sticks on my face.

"What the fuck did you do to you're wrists?" Clay's voice interrupted Tig's inspection.

"Um hit them on something I guess," I couldn't meet his eyes, so I looked out into the waiting room, and met a dark set of eyes surrounded by long dark eye lashes. Eyes that had a look of disbelief at the explanation for the state of my wrists, while he traveled the rest of the length of my body his eyes grew ten times larger than normal at my shoes; but I wouldn't let any emotion out as my eyes drooped from the pain medicine Tara had provided finally kicked in.

"I'll bring you home," Opie informed me loud enough for the group to hear, his long legs only needed a few steps to be in front of me, reaching out to touch me, but I couldn't help but flinch away from his touch, so he put his hand back by his side.

I walked slowly behind Opie towards the parking lot; he had stopped to wait on me to catch up every few minutes, my legs were still shaking, and the pain rumbling in my groin kept me from doing anything fast. I silently sent up a prayer that he wasn't leading me to his Harley.

"That's a lot of blood for a car accident," he finally spoke as he pressed the button for the elevator in the parking garage.

"My wrists," believable enough.

"Sure," well I thought it was believable.

"What do you want me to say Opie, I forgot to take note of where blood was coming from when we hit a tree," I snapped at him, which only caused his manly eyebrow to raise.

"I thought you hit a cement barrier,"

Oops.

"That's what I meant Op, what's with twenty questions today?" I shoved past him into the elevator.

"How about you tell me how you're wrist ended up like that! Did Gemma do something to you? Or Clay?" he tried to intimidate me a bit by pining me in the corner of the elevator; but due to recent events it instantly caused tears to fill my eyes and a feeling of panic to rise. The moment Opie noticed he backed up.

"Jesus Grace, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it,"

"I'm just a little shaken up Op, it's not you're fault."

He said nothing else as he lead me to a khaki colored pick up truck, which must have been his as he pulled keys out of his pocket and walked over to the drivers side. I was for once thankful for a man with no manners as relief passed my body at Opie not noticing my wince as I climbed into the pickup. The silence and the rumbled of the old truck along with the pain medicine rocked me to sleep before we were even on the bottom floor of the parking garage.

* * *

><p><strong>"Do you like that slut?" I saw their masks, the men who were attacking me, feeling my denim ripping off my body, along with a tearing noise. Everything was in slow motion, the way one pushed my hair out of my face laughing at my tears falling onto his gloved hands. The other lifting me...<strong>

I jolted out of my nightmare as I felt my body lift off the truck seat a blood curdling scream filling the body of the pickup, I wasn't sure it was mine until my throat instantly started burning and my legs kicked out to connect with my attacker, tears burring all the way down my face.

"Grace, it's me, you're okay," the world finally came into sight as I saw Opie standing over me, while I was half lifted into his arms, "You're okay, shh you're okay," he finished lifting me as the tears that had been waiting to fall water falled out of my eyes and all over him while he hushed me, rubbing my back and carrying me towards Gemma and Clay's front door, he kicked the door open trying to keep contact with my body while I continued sobbing, his hand never stopped rubbing comforting circles on my back.

I heard another door open as he brought me into the room I'd been staying in laying me on the bed before he pulled my shoes off.

"Grace, breath," he slid up in bed beside me, pulling a blanket over my ridged body.

I finally got a hold of myself, the tears dying down and the sobs just turning into small jolts all over my body.

"I'm sorry about last night," Opie finally said, reaching up to adjust his beanie.

Panic instantly passed over my body, did he know what had really happened. Stupid, stupid me.

"It wasn't you're fault Opie..." I began to explain not sure exactly what he was talking about, but knowing he couldn't of caused any sort of pain to happen to me.

"I really shouldn't be allowed to text while I drink, I say some things I don't mean to,"

The texts we had exchanged last night came back to my memory.

_'I can't stop thinking about you'_

The dumbass girl I was on the inside caused more tears to build behind my green eyes. He didn't mean the text, it was the alcohol.

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><p>AN: Thank Ya'll for the reviews, let me know what you think about this chapter. Stuff is happening quick, but it's Sons of Anarchy, there is never a dull moment.<p>

-LANA


	4. Chapter 4

It had been three weeks since the attack on Gemma and I, and even though the physical wounds were beginning to heal, the mental ones were getting deeper and more jagged by the day; and I knew the same could be said for Gemma as well, I had heard her and Clay fight everyday for the past few weeks.

"You've got to come to this wrap party with me tonight, Samcro had got involved with Luann's Porn company," Tara tried to explain to me on the phone, begging me to join here for the third time today.

"I'd love to, but I think I've got plans for tonight," I tried to lie my way out, again.

"You don't have plans! You don't know anyone in the town but me." Tara threw back at me.

"Well maybe I've got plans to go out and meet some new people," I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that she was 100 percent right.

"So I'll pick you up tonight,I'm going on a ride with Jax" she hung up without any reply.

Over the last three weeks I've tried my best to separate myself from Samcro. I still worked at the garage but I barley spoke to anyone but Gemma and Chibs, and right when I'm done with work I go back to Gems house and stay hid out in my room. But I couldn't help but notice Gem was in the living room every night too, all by herself. Most nights I could hear her crying in her room before bed until Clay got home.

Opie had also been a no show the last couple weeks, he seemed to be avoiding me as much as I was avoiding him. I knew he was working at the garage, every once in a while I'd get a glimpse of his large frame walking away from the office, or towards his bike. But I hadn't spoken a word to him since I fell asleep in my bedroom with him beside me and woken up alone. He was probably worried I had taken his drunken texts to heart, which in all honestly I had, and was hoping to make a point to me that he didn't like me.

After Tara and I's phone conversation was over the office door flew open and Gemma's voice filled the tiny room.

"Yes I'll be right over there Luann, I'm leaving now," She slammed her phone shut, and began digging around the office. "Come on, we're going to Cara Cara," Once she found her purse she flung it on her shoulder, and frowned when she saw I wasn't moving.

"You coming?" she snapped, and began tapping her foot, "Or you could stay here, I think Half Sac and Op will be back with some repo soon,"

"I'm coming," I quickly stood, walking past her out the door.

During the short ride to Cara Cara, I began messing with the stitches on my wrists. Every time I saw the strings holding the jagged pieces of skin together I was instantly shot back into time. I could still feel the cold handcuffs on my wrist, the blood running down my arm.

"What do you think?" Gemma's voice interrupted my flash back.

"What do I think about what?" I shook my head, having no clue what she was talking about.

"Bobby taking over the books of Cara Cara," She said in her typical Gemma tone.

" I think..whats in those books? A list of whose blown who?"

Both of us lost track of who we were for a moment as laughter filled the car.

When we pulled up to Cara Cara Tara was sitting on Jax's motorcycle outside the doors, and before we could get out of the SUV two motorcycles pulled up from behind us.

"What are you all doing here?" Tara asked as I sat beside her on Jax's bike.

"Luann called Gem flipping out about Bobby doing books or something," I looked down at my nails and began picking at them. "What about you? I thought you and Jax were going somewhere,"

"Apparently, she called Jax before Gemma," Tara raised her shoulders and began telling me about some porn star from earlier.

"I hate it when mommy and daddy fight," Tig, the second motorcycle rider slammed down on the bike behind us.

Gemma and Clay were screaming at each other, seemed harmless, like the fighting that usually went on at their house recently, but then Clay picked up a huge cinder block and flew it through Gemma's driver side window. Quickly Tara grabbed my arm and began dragging me towards the doors when Gemma kicked Clay's bike. As we went inside the warehouse it was like a whole new world; blondes, brunettes and redheads were running around naked, or so close it counted, and in the middle of this storm of girls stood Luann spinning around like a chicken with it's head cut off, fighting with Bobby in the other room. But while I tried to take in more of the scene Tara pulled me in another direction calling Jax's name.

A oily headed blonde interrupted our path to Jax.

"He's busy darling, stay outside like you were told," I suddenly felt Tara's body stance change, like she tucked herself away.

"No one was talking to you whore, and if you've got a problem with it, both me and you will go outside," The words slipped out of my mouth, quickly coming to my friends defense, as all the girls in the room gasped at my use of the word whore.

Before the dumb blonde could think of a response Jax grabbed both Tara and I by an arm and pulled us towards the door.

"She's crazy,"

"She's not the only one," Tara informed Jax as the sunlight blinded us momentarily.

Gemma and Clay were still fighting outside with Tig still watching from the bike, who I quickly joined again.

While Jax and Tara watched on Gemma began to walk away from Clay who reached out and grabbed her, causing her to have a panic attack, every joint in her body tightening.

"I'll go with Daddy, and you stay with Mommy," Tig stood to follow Clay and I watched Gemma walk back into the warehouse.

"Can't wait till the party tonight," Tara whispered to me watching Jax follow Gem inside the warehouse.

I just shook my head and began cleaning the glass out of Gemma's vehicle.

* * *

><p>When we got back into the office Gem had calmed herself back down again. Lately she had been the definition of bipolar. Flipping the lid at one moment and laughing at the next, she had driven Tara and I back to Teller-Morrow cracking sarcastic jokes and ragging on Clay.<p>

"You two need to pee in these cups," Tara reached into her purse and pulled out two sample cups.

"I just keep my wallet in mine," I muttered to Gemma both of us watching her.

As the group of us laughed at Tara a single bike rattled the windows of the office, which quickly attracted the three of us to look out.

"What the fuck," Tara cursed holding the blinds open for us.

The blonde bimbo was climbing off the back of Jax's bike, when both of her feet were under her she did a little squat to pull her shorts out of her crotch.

"Classy," I rolled my eyes at the girl.

"You okay with that rubbing on Jax?" Gemma questioned, always trying to get something started.

"I trust him," Tara mumbled looking out the window.

"It's not him you worry about, it's them,"

Them, she had taught me about the sweet butts and whores early on, apparently she was their number one hater.

"You've got to teach her a lesson, she'll tell the others,"

"Yeah, whores gonna be whores," I laughed trying to break up this dramatic moment. The sound of another bike distracted me from our laughter. Opie parked his bike beside Jax's taking off his helmet and running his fingers through his long wild hair, before wrapping it in a hair tie and shoving his beanie on his head. When he noticed my Challenger parked beside Gem and Tara's cars he took off for the club house quickly. Straightaway the pain I felt when I woke up alone two weeks okay refreshed itself in my head. All that he left behind was a note on the pillow saying he was sorry he had to go and didn't want to wake me up. Club business.

It was hard but I ripped my head out of the window, but not before Gem noticed me staring at the giant by his bike.

"What was that about?" She asked one of her eyes raising while she shook the sample cup at me.

"I've got to pee," I pushed past her walking down the hall toward the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"You and Gem are both clean," Tara said as she got off the phone in her office at St. Thomas.<p>

"That's good," I mumbled to her staring at my hands while she typed on her lap top.

"How are you doing, mentally," Tara took her time asking trying to think of a kind way to ask.

It took me a moment to think of an answer for my new friend.

"Some seconds I'm fine, like nothing happened. Then thirty seconds later I'm ready to run from the room screaming," I didn't make eye contact with her, just picked at the loose pieces of my stitches.

"That's understandable Grace, you were attacked by multiple people," She walked around the back of her desk and sat on the edge in front of me, pulling my hand away from my wrist.

"But it's not physical pain," I took a deep breath, attempting to hold in the tears forming, " I feel fine now, it's the noises, the dreams," I finally looked Tara in the eyes, which were glistening with tears. "I relive it every night, what they did to me, what they did to Gem; It's like I step outside myself and watch it happen to both of us,"

Before I could move away two arms wrapped around me, pulling me out of the chair and holding me tight. The action caused more tears then my confession did. Tara was the first person to lovingly hold me since my mother died. All the friends I grew up with, and all my other family members didn't know what to say or do, so they did nothing at all; when all I really needed was to be held.

"Thank you," I whispered into her ear, neither of us letting up.

"You're to young for all of this, sometimes I forget you're only nineteen," she said back finally pulling away. "I would of lost it then, ran to the police station and told everyone what happened,"

"I forget I am too, I haven't felt like a teenager in months, and if I ran and told the police or the club, then whoever did this wins,"

"One more thing," she sat back down when I did, "What was the thing with Opie today?" she asked, pulling her cellphone out of her pocket.

"What thing?" I asked my stomach dropping hearing his name.

"I've noticed the last three weeks you two have been..."

"Been what?" I snapped not wanting her to push it anymore.

"Avoiding each other, since he brought you home from the hospital that day, did something happen?"

"No, we just don't have anything to say," I stood up, "I've got to get going,"

"You're coming with me tonight right? I need you there,"

"I'll be there," I agreed against my better judgment.

* * *

><p>"You going to that party tonight?"<p>

Gemma asked me from the living room where she was watching a news report about some explosion up in the woods.

"Yeah," I rolled the sleeves to my plaid shirt up, not wanting to to pull on my stitches.

"You look very...Opie chic," she either complimented or insulted me. I couldn't figure out which.

"Thanks..I think! You're not going with us?" I sat down on the couch beside her to tie my boots.

"Nah, Clay's got to get some pussy, he doesn't need me in the way," This instantly brought shock to me.

"So you're just going to let him fuck some porn slut?" I asked not quite understanding.

"I haven't had sex with him since that night," she said almost embarrassed.

"That's understandable Gem, a lot of shit happened to you,"

"It's not my body that won't get into it, it's my mind..you know?" She popped some popcorn in her mouth.

"I get it, I've been dreaming about it," I looked down at her tan carpet.

"We'll get over this, I knew when I first met you, that you were a good girl but a tough girl, just like your ma'ma was,"

This was the first thing I'd ever heard her mention my mom. "She was tough, strong. But so feminine at the same time,she helped me with Jax and Thomas, taught me how to love my children like they should be loved...she was my best friend."

I reached out and touched her hand, as tears ran down her face.

"That's why you're here Grace, I'm gonna love you like she would of loved Jax if it was him who showed up at her house, she would of taken him in and shown him affection without a second thought, that's the best part of you Grace," she began sobbing even harder. "You're wrists are torn because of your caring nature, you were trying so hard to get off that fence, not when you were being attacked, but because you were trying to get off when they were raping me, to help me, and I've never seen that kind of love without question since her,"

A knock was heard on the front door jumping us both out of our moment.

"Thanks probably Tara, I've got to go," I squeezed her hand before walking towards the door.

* * *

><p>"You two weren't invited,"<p>

The whore from earlier was sitting in a beat up chair by the door of the warehouse.

"Who put your ass in charge?" I snapped at the girl, not in the mood after a ten minute ride with Tara questioning me about Opie the whole way.

"I'm the star around here," she uncrossed her legs and stood up to adjust some sarong like blue dress.

"They must not be paying much, you've got a damn shower curtain on," I pushed the blonde when she got close enough.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the giant in question in a directors chair beside Jax point in our direction, who quickly ran over to us.

"Go to the bathroom," I muttered in Tara's direction who look confused by me.

"Hey! Hey!," Jax jumped in between us before anything could really get started.

Tara stormed off towards the bathroom and Jax followed like a good little boy.

"Thats right, run bitch!" The filthy blonde yelled in Tara's direction.

Having enough I pushed the girl again, the light shove almost exposed her lady business her dress was so short.

"Tonight's not about fighting, come on love," Chib came up from behind the girl and shoved her out of the way grabbing my arm, "Ima get out of here,"

"What kind of name is Ima?" I snorted, "Ima slut?"

Before she could retort Chibs pulled me towards the make shift bar in Cara Cara.

"You thought about what I offered you?" Luann came up beside me filling up her cup.

"Never gonna happen," I smiled in her direction. She had offered me a job at Cara Cara when she first met me and found out I was nineteen.

"Oh come on, you've got that whole college kid fucking for tuition money going on, a regular Bella Knox."

"Thanks but no thanks," I took my beer and walked away from her, forgetting who was in the corner.

"Hey Grace," Opie's deep voice filled every crevasse of my brain.

"Hey Op," I tucked my bangs behind my ear while he motioned to the seat beside me.

"How have you been?" he questioned awkwardly, like he was interviewing me for a job.

"Okay, how have you been?" I didn't know what else to say or where to look so I stared at the scuffed up toes of my boots and then his.

"Opie, why are you talking to this bitch, do you know what she called me?" Ima's whiny voice interrupted our conversation.

"Don't you ever call her that!" Opie stood up, a dark shade of angry red filling his cheeks, I grabbed the back of his cut pulling him away from the girl, letting him know it was okay.

"Hey Ima slut, I think Jax was looking for you near the bathroom,"

That was all it took, she almost left a fire trail she took off so fast, my laughter following behind her, knowing what she was going to walk into.

"Don't ever, let ANYONE talk about you like that, especially these girls," Opie snapped at me, adjusting his beanie.

"Opie, I basically started it, and now I just finished it," he gave me an odd look, but before he could ask two hands wrapped around my hips, almost causing me to scream before a laugh followed the movement.

"Let's dance," Tig pulled me out to the dance floor without an answer.

Relief filled my body as my brain let loose and began dancing with Tig both of us laughing with each other, bumping our hips together and moving our arms parasitically to the music, after a few songs I was out of drink and pointed to my glass letting him know where I was going, but before I could get to the bar I stopped dead in my tracks.

Opie was still in his directors chair near the bar, but a dark red headed girl was on her knees in front of him, her head bobbing up and down, but it wasn't to the music.

* * *

><p>AN: 20 reviews thank you so much ya'll. Let me know what you think! It this worth continuing?<p>

BTW: I don't own SOA.

-LANA


	5. Chapter 5

"How's the head sleeping beauty?" Gem asked as I stumbled into the kitchen the morning after the party, the scent of alcohol dripping out of every one of my pores. I did the only responsible thing to do and flipped her the bird while walking to the fridge to chug ten gallons of water.

"You're dad brought you home last night," she continued on, not fazed by my sign language.

"Don't call him that," I muttered in a raspy voice.

"Well that's exactly what he is, and getting drunk and sloppy is exactly what he would do too," she stood up to pour me a coffee.

"I can't believe he brought me home," I happily took the coffee from Gem's hands and sat down at the large table.

"Seems you were quite an act last night Doll," she began buttering some toast before setting it in front of me, "It must have been bad for Clay to bring you home, and then half an hour later Opie showed up drunk out of his mind, to make sure you made it home okay, and to drop off your cell phone that you bounced off his head." she nodded her head towards my cell phone on the counter.

"Great," I scoffed. Not remembering a thing after I saw Opie and the red head and began drinking with Bobby.

"Then, get this Tara called this morning to talk to you, saying you were out of control last night, attacking Opie and then making out with some random dude." she took a moment to sarcastically laugh, "Why is it I almost miss the good parties?"

"I really have no idea what happened," I began rubbing my head hoping something would come back.

"No; we never do though do we?" that wicked smile spread across her face, she was having way to much fun.

After breakfast I grabbed my cell phone and went into my bedroom to get ready for what was already proving to be embarrassing day ahead of me.

When I sat my cell down on the bed I noticed the flashing light in the corner saying I had unread messages.

The first few were from Tara telling me to call her in the morning and asking me about the guy from last night and what made me so mad. But further down the screen I saw I had some from Opie I must of read last night, none of which I replied to.

_' You're drinking to much Grace,'_

_'You're beautiful when you smile,'_

_'You need to stop right now, you're to smart for this,'_

_'Grace I know you see this,'_

_'I like you Grace'_

'I'm sorry, I'll see you later' was the last message sent, at six this morning. I looked over at the clock and it was now nine.

Instantly the texts enraged me, he clearly didn't like me last night while he was with the skanky red head.

I quickly typed a text to him, and sent it before I could stop myself.

_'Fuck you Opie, stop texting me, unless it has to do with work, don't talk to me.'_

At first the text to him made me feel like all woman, if I had enough energy I would of beat my fists against my chest. No matter how I felt about Opie, he wasn't going to do that in front of me, in front of everyone, and then drunk text me about liking me. Like I was one of the Cara Cara girls! I had more self respect.

But by the time I was out of the shower and heading to work the confidence had depleted and I dreaded seeing him.

"I'm heading into work," I informed Gemma as I walked into the kitchen.

"Not without an explanation Lucy!" Tara's voice rang out, followed by Gemma's laugh.

I rounded the corner to see her in light blue scrubs and a coffee in her hand at the table.

"I don't remember anything Tara, Gem already tried,"

"Well let me refresh your memory come, sit," She smirked in my direction pointing at a chair in between the duo.

"First off, sending Ima in the bathroom, great move;" at least she was gonna start off with a compliment. "But when I got out of the bathroom you were at the bar with Bobby doing shot after shot, then you would check your phone and do some more drinking. Then finally after about two hours of shots you stood up, as calmly as a drunk could, walked over to Opie, slammed his head against the wall and bounced your cell off his head,"

Gemma laughed while my stomach drooped.

"Then you grabbed your car keys from Jax, fought with him a minute about leaving, before Clay threw you over his shoulder tossed you in the back of your car and drove off with you,"

None of that rang a bell.

"Well, looks like I need to stay away from Bobby and the bar,"

I stood quickly and flew out the front door, but I didn't miss Tara and Gem talking

* * *

><p>"I didn't see it in her," Tara said with a laugh<p>

"I did, it's her first act as being truly Clay's child,"

"Whoa, watch out guys, she might be here to bounce more heads off the wall." Tig was out in the lot when I pulled up; yelling at me through the window. I flipped the bird for the second time in the last few hours.

"Where's Gemma?" Clay came up behind me when I got out of the car.

"She went with Tara, then she'll be in," he just nodded his head and stormed away.

"Okkay,"

On the walk to the office I saw Opie standing next to a white Prius, talking to some blonde girl I recognized from Cara Cara, and I instantly felt the warmth rise in my cheeks. The girl had on enough of an undershirt to cover her nipples and a long cardigan hanging off both shoulders. But the only good thing about this girl, was that he was distracted long enough for me to get in the office.

But all to quickly the bell to the office went off behind me while I was filing some papers.

"Hey," I turned to greet whoever walked in and there he stood, in all his beanied glory, along with a cellphone shaped bruise on his temple. He didn't acknowledge me as he loudly slammed down the papers in his hand and a pair of keys attached to a fuzzy key chain on the desk.

"Bye," he snapped storming out the doorway.

So he must of gotten my text this morning.

"Mc Drinks Alot! How the fuck are YAH!" Tig came into the office, sitting in the chair across from the desk and put his feet up.

Today couldn't get over fast enough.

* * *

><p>"And she just popped you in the face?" I asked Tara sitting in an examination room.<p>

"I think she was following someone, who had something to do with what happened to you two."

"Did she say anything?"

"She's Gemma, she never says anything for sure," Tara began pulling out what she needed to take my stitches out. "I'm making her see a shrink, I told her I'd tell Hale she assaulted me if she didn't," a small satisfied smirk passed over her thin lips.

"And she let you keep you're legs?" I watched her put on gloves and began cleaning my wrists with alcohol pads.

"Hey if I recall she's not the only one whose hit someone lately," she looked up with her knowing eyes. " I think you need a shrink too, but I don't have anything to hold over you,"

"I'm fine Tara,"

"And that's why you attacked Opie yesterday? because you're fine," she didn't look up as she went to work on my wrists.

"I didn't do that to him because of the rape," I half mumbled to her.

"Then what happened?"

"It's complicated,"

For once she let it slide.

"I know all about complicated trust me, I'm not giving up," she kept her focus on her work. Tara may be a lot of things to a lot of people but she was a very good Dr. No matter what happened, with her career or her life, she could say she made something of it in fifty years; something I couldn't. I worked at teller-morrow doing minimal paperwork.

"Why did you decide to become a Dr?" I questioned after minutes of watching her work.

"It was an easy way out of Charming, out of Samcro. These guys, Jax, Tig, Clay, even Opie might be caring guys, or attractive guys. But that's all they will ever be, Samcro. I needed to leave to know that I could be more than just some Old Lady in a motorcycle club ."

"But you came back?" she finished up my wrists and applied some ointment.

"I realized I could do both."

* * *

><p>When Tara and I pulled up to Teller-Morrow, all the guys were coming out of the club house, none of them looking happy at all.<p>

"I wonder what happened," I asked out loud more to myself than anyone.

"Shit around here is going to change," Tara looked over at me smiling.

Quickly I parked beside Gem, who was sitting outside smoking, and got out of my Challenger.

"It was a bad vote," Tig came up to Gem, resting his hand on her shoulder, while the rest of the guys went over to their motorcycle's. She quickly made her way into the club house while Tara followed Jax towards the bikes.

"One last take in for today," Half Sack brought up a paper for the intake of a van.

Watching the van come around the corner my heart jumped up my throat. I knew this van, and it instantly made me nervous.

"Gem," I said her name when she came out of the club house. But I couldn't stop my legs from walking over to the van, the closer I got the more I remembered the woman with the choking kid, which turned out to be a baby doll. I tunneled in on the van, hoping there was some sort of key to who had done this inside.

Chibs got inside, when I was about a quarter over there, I guess in my dramatic state I decided to walk slow.

Which probably saved my life as the ringing in my ears came back while Chibs ran out of the van and heat pressed against my face and force shoved me back;the van bursting into flame.

The minute my back hit the cold cement he was over me, his calloused hands on both sides of my head, but I couldn't hear any words he was saying for a minute over the screaming and my brain trying to wrap around itself.

"You're okay baby, you're okay," Opie kept repeating to me, using his thumbs to push my blonde hair out of my face.

Shock took over my body and everything blacked out, but I still felt his hands stroking my face even in limbo. 

* * *

><p>AN: Let me know what you think? Should I continue this story?<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

"Wake up beautiful,"

A beeping was heard when I finally decided to open my green eyes, which quickly grew to the size of quarters when I saw who was in the room.

"Mom?" I asked, I must be dead.

"You need to leave baby," her matching green eyes filled with tears.

"Am I dead?"

"No baby girl, you're asleep," her face shined with her inner beauty she always wore.

"You need to get out baby, while you still can,"

"Get out of where mom?" I felt tears run down my face watching my mom's angelic form move around in my dream.

"Charming," she stretched her arm like she was going to hold my hand, but her glowy body passed right through mine.

* * *

><p>"Mom?" I asked my stomach feeling like it was in a vortex suddenly.<p>

"You're waking up Isabella Grace, I love you, and never forget we left Charming for a reason, run my sweet baby."

"Mom?" my voice cracked from lack of moisture, as the beeping got louder and the light blinded me.

"There she is," Gemma stood over me, in her usual black.

"What happened?" I asked remembering the car bomb, but I wasn't sure why I was in the hospital.

"You went into shock, you're brain shut your body down," Tara jumped me coming out of the attached bathroom to my room.

"How is Chibs?" I replayed the explosion in my head, setting up straight.

"Hey's critical, but doing better," Tara explained sitting in a seat beside the bed.

"Gem, that van," I began to explain.

"I know, I know baby," she reached out to push my soaking bangs out of my face.

"We've got to stay quiet about it," she leaned in to talk closer to my face, "Clay and Opie have been in here steady,"

I nodded my head understanding. But I couldn't help the giddy feeling in my stomach at the mention of Opie's name, remembering his hands rubbing the sides of my head, talking to me. But my mom's voice filled my brain, "Run baby,"

"When can I go home?" I asked Tara swinging my legs over the sides of the bed.

"When the tests come back,"

"I'm ready now," I stood beside the bed, feeling the air against my naked back side of the ridiculous gown.

"Well..." she began. Watching me walking over to my pile of clothes in the corner of the room.

"Grace, no one will blame you for needed a minute, in the last month you've been attacked and then blown up,"

She was right, I was in danger here.

"So I don't think hospital walls will help from someone getting to me if they wanted," I tried to smile in her direction, while I began getting dressed, not bothering with the bathroom.

"Hows she doin.." Opie burst into the room while I was standing in my jeans and bra; he jumped like he'd never seen a girl in underwear and slammed the door behind him. Both women in the room wore questioning eyes.

"That's the first time I've seen a member of Samcro run from a girl in their underwear." Gemma shook her head, confused like everyone else. "I'm going to check on Chibs, you head home, I'll be there in a while," she pressed her lips to my forehead.

* * *

><p>Running around Gemma's house I quickly packed all my stuff before she got back. My mom's warning running all through my brain.<p>

"We left for a reason,"

I had always taken my mom's advice and I didn't think now would be a good time to stop.

Once my Challenger was packed I ran back inside to leave a note for Tara and Gemma.

'I'm sorry, I don't belong here. Be safe'

It was the best thing I could think of; What was I going to write? My dead mom says I need to leave.

Putting my sunglasses onto my eyes to hide my tears I locked the door behind me and got in my car. I took one last look at the house, glad that I had met Gemma, no matter what they said about her or how she acted she loved with all she had, and I was glad to be one of those people, even if only for a few days.

I plopped my cellphone in my cup holder after putting it on silent, it taken everything I had not to text Opie, to tell him I was leaving. But I knew in my heart, if he asked me to stay I would be back in the house like nothing had happened.

Tears ran freely down my face as I put my car in reverse.

* * *

><p>2 Days Later.<p>

"Isabella, what are you doing here?" My Grandpa questioned as he stood out of his recliner, taking his hand off the shot gun beside his seat, a new addition to the old man's collection.

"I had to come back Gramps," I wrapped myself around him like a man having water for the first time after being in the desert.

"I love you baby, but you need to go back," He pulled me away are arms length. "You're not safe here," I shook my head in confusion.

"I left Charming because I wasn't safe there,"

"Didn't Gemma tell you?" He sat back down in his chair, digging a hard candy out of his pocket pushing it into his mouth.

"Tell me what?"

"Get us some tea, then sit down,"

When I walked back into the living room with two glasses of sweat tea my stomach jerked in nerves.

"You're mother had two different sides Isabella," I took a deep breath, my grandfather being the only one to ever call me Isabella without pissing me off.

"She as you know was a loving woman and mother," he looked up at the picture of my mother on the wall beside him. "But she also was a trouble maker and couldn't help it," he ran his hands through his balding head."When she first got together with Clay neither her mother or I were surprised, a guy in a motorcycle cub, she could of done worse," he laughed, "But she jumped into the roll head first, she was the second Gemma. Soon she started missing family dinners, stopped coming home; first a couple of nights, then she'd miss weeks at a time," he reached out to hold my hand, letting me know the worst was coming. "When you're grandmother was diagnosed with cancer your mom really took it hard, she started experimenting with drugs, sleeping around with more than just Clay, some very bad people." I couldn't imagine my mother doing any of this, the woman I knew worked and loved so hard, it was everything she had, everything she taught me. "She stopped visiting your Memaw in the hospital when she got real bad, didn't even go to her funeral when she passed," the adams apple in his throat bobbed deeply, while he used his other hand to shake his cup, the ice clanging against the glass. "I moved back here to Georgia soon after, Rebecca was gone and Annabelle was in the wind; but about two years later she showed up on my doorstep, much like you did today, a lost soul. She had her hand pressed against her stomach, about five month's pregnant with you," Tears finally fell down both of our faces. "You saved her life baby girl, for years, you became it for her! It was like the old Annabelle ever existed, she never talked about Samcro or Clay. But eventually everything catches up with you baby, you can only run for so long, she owed some bad people here a lot of money, it seemed she never quite got off drugs, and they killed her. Now they are looking for you,"

I didn't know what to say, this woman he describe wasn't, couldn't, be my mother. The woman who would wake up two hours before me every morning to make me breakfast and pack my school lunch. The woman who held me when I broke up with my first boyfriend, and wouldn't let my friends and I egg his house. The woman who had been in my dream, telling me to run, to run back to danger?

"I never knew,"

"Why would you darlin? She never showed it,"

I began telling my Gramps about my dream of her, leaving out the part about the car bomb putting me in the coma in the first place.

"Well, you've got to go back," he reached out pushing my hair out of my face, like everyone did, it was the one thing that made me feel most like a child, except when Opie had done it.

"Go with me then," I stood up, "I can't live with Gemma forever,"

"I can't go back there Issie," he used my childhood nice name.

"Then I'm not going back either," I could be stubborn too. "I'm all alone there, and you're all alone here,"

"You need to go back, they will find you here,"

"Not without you," we both had a stare down in the living room, neither one of us blinking or giving up.

"We are all we've got left," I smiled when he began blinking.

"Fine," my smile spread six times bigger. "You go back now and I'll be there within the month,"

I believed him, he had never lied to me before.

"I'm going to sleep here before I start driving again," I kissed his cheek and began heading towards my room.

"You're already starting to get pancake ass,"

"Laugh old man,"

When I got into my childhood room I took a deep breath at the set up, after only a month is already wasn't my style anymore, it was too...childish, girly. I had been through a lot and survived a lot recently. I began packing some things I'd want to take to charming with me, some clothes, cds, movies. Leaving the rest in the room knowing Grampa would have it packed and brought with him when he left. Setting my packed bags by the door I flung myself onto my mattress not even bothering with covers as the warm Georgia air blew through my windows.

A beep came from my pocket, a sign of a dying phone, as I pulled the white phone out of my pocket I noticed I had 5 missed texts.

_Tara: 'Where did you go? Are you okay?'_

_'Shits getting serious around here Grace, Jax is going nomad'_

_Gemma: I'm going to tell them, this is the only way to keep Jax Samcro. See you when you get back._

_Opie: 'Where the hell are you Grace, I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you leave,'_

_'Please come back, I need you here'_

* * *

><p>AN: short, but a little back story on how Grace came to be.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Pulling back into Charming for the second time wasn't as dramatic as the first, I knew exactly where I was going. I almost cracked a smile as I drove into the Teller-Morrow parking lot. But at the moment I was glad I didn't.

Opie was standing in front of the white Prius from a few days ago, kissing the girl from Cara Cara. It took everything in me not to drive into both of them with my car.

I began questioning why I came back in the first place, did I think something would happen with him and I? He was still the guy that got a blow job in the middle of a party, in front of everyone; and I had instantly forgiven him the second he held me after the explosion.

I wasn't going to become one of those girls.

When he finally noticed my car pull into a parking spot he flung the thin girl against her car like she had crabs, which we couldn't rule out, and started towards my car.

"Hey, where have you been?" He reached out to touch my face, and I moved like he was the one with crabs.

"Out of town," I slammed my car door shut walking past him towards the office, resisting the urge to look back at him.

"About time," Gemma spoke to me when I filled the doorway.

"What made you think I'd come back?"I questioned as she passed a pile of paper work over to me.

"Baby, Charmings in your blood now, you've bleed for this club, you're one of us," she took a seat again, "You've missed a lot of shit,"

"Yeah, apparently," I thought of Opie and the slut outside.

" Luanns dead, and Jax is going Nomad." she said the part about Luann like she was telling me about a piece of yesterday's new she had received.

"I've only been gone for a week," I shook my head at her, people were dropping like flies around here.

"Yeah, 5 days to long," she began to tell me something else when the office door flung open in it's usual fashion and Chibs filled the doorway.

"Gracie!" his accent always brought a smile to my face.

"How's the head?" I asked him wrapping my arms around the Scott.

"Hard as ever,' he looked down at his pants, clearly cracking a joke about his dick.

"Oh wow,"Gem usual sarcastic tone pulled us out of our embrace.

Chibs and I talked for a bit before he took off with the utility van's keys out the front.

"There is a dinner at the house tonight, I've got to tell them," Gemma had tears in her dark eyes, I wasn't sure if they were from nerves or relief. It would be good for her to get this off her chest, maybe for just a minute she could focus on herself getting better instead of doing what she needed to for the club; something she had been doing for most of her life.

"Do what you've got to do Gem," I grabbed her hand squeezing lightly.

"It's the only way, the keep him from going Nomad." she was sure of her statement. "Shit is going to get real in the next few weeks, I need you close." I felt relief as she squeezed back.

"Thank god! Where have you been?"Tara's dark head came through the door.

"We really need to get a lock," Gem muttered, the room tensing.

"Well good to see you too," She took the last empty seat in the office.

"Jax is going Nomad and you're doing nothing to stop it!" Gem's voice raised, but more out of fear then anger. "You think with our enemies that he should be riding around, alone, unprotected?" she snapped.

"I think he needs to get away from Clay," Tara added to their little scream match.

"One day, Jax will be president of Samcro, then he makes the calls, but for now he needs to keep his ass in line," Gem raised a her pointer finger at Tara, "And as his old lady you need to make sure of it,"

"So what do we do?" She questioned.

"We tell them about what happened to us, he'll go head deep into helping catch them,"

"More blood on his hands," Tara mumbled,

"Baby girl, he was born in the blood,"

* * *

><p>"Hey, I'm glad you're back, I need you!" Tara spoke to me as I walked her out to her car.<p>

"Yeah," I raised the sides of my mouth at her.

"Why did you leave?"

"My life was spiraling out of control and I needed to find something firm to grasp for a while," I wasn't ready to share what I had learned with her.

"Like that," she tilted her head in the direction of Opie's back, his large frame covered in his cut, and his signature beanie on his head.

"No,Exactly the opposite,"

"Oh come on, I've known Opie for a long time, he doesn't just hold a girl in the hospital, or let her slam his head into a wall. Not even Donna," she smiled thinking she was helping.

"Op and I will never work," I tried to assure her and myself at the same time.

"Sometime life isn't about what works, it's about what makes us feel,"

"The only thing I feel around him is anger,"

"Sure. See you tonight okay?" she began digging in her backseat, "I've got something I want you to read, but you can't ever let Gemma see it," she pulled out a brown binder with the reaper on it, low enough that Gem couldn't see it through her office window.

"What is it?" I asked, taking the worn leather in my hand.

"The future hopefully," she looked dreamily at me, "It's something Jax's old man wrote before he passed away,"

'The Life and Death of Sam Crowe- How Sons of Anarchy lost their way'

"Read it, this is how Samcro should be," she got in her black car and drove away.

* * *

><p>A knock rapped against the door to my bedroom at Gemma's.<p>

"Come in!" I yelled at the door tucking the manuscript under my pillow.

"Hi," I looked up to see Clay.

"Hey,"I sat up straighter on the bed, not being comfortable with him seeing me lounge in his house.

"You've been M.I.A the last few days, just wanted to see if...you were okay?" He almost choked on the words.

"Yeah, I went to see Pops,"

He nodded his head in understanding.

"How is he?"

This was proving to be the most awkward conversation in my life.

"Hard headed as always," I smiled at the thought of my sweet old Grampa.

" I always liked him," A smile that matched mine completely spread over his face. I took the time to look clay over, this was the longest we'd ever been in a room together. He was much taller than me, but had my posture, slouched shoulders; His resting bitch face was strong also like mine and his five head also matched mine. But I was all my mother everywhere else.

"Look I know a lot of shit has been going on around here," he ran his hands though his hair, " I needed to let you know, that you are handling it well,"

"Thanks, but I feel like I'm doggy paddling in blood up to my neck,"

"You are, we all are, but the important part is you're swimming. Gem wants you to come out for dinner,"

He didn't wait for anything else to walk out of the room.

Word of Wisdom from Clay Morrow everyone.

I took a moment to look at myself in the mirror trying to find any sign of Clay on me I might of missed, nothing. Which only added to my nerves of Gem telling them what had happened all those weeks ago.

"You coming?" Tara asked from my bedroom doorway.

"Yeah," I muttered walking past her down the hall.

"I need everyone to sit down, I have to tell you something," she spoke to the small group in the kitchen. I noticed that Jax no longer had patches on his Cut. Was he already Nomad? Were we to late?

Gemma took a moment to make eye contact with me, and I nodded my head at her, letting her know I was ready.

"That night, of Bobby's party, we didn't crash, we were attacked."

Gemma began reliving the story for us, telling them all about the woman in the van, waking up chained and them making her watch three men rape me. All sets of eyes would pass from Gemma's tear filled eyes to my flat ones. I couldn't feel anything anymore, the story always became more terrifying the more I heard it.

"She fought so hard to get to me, to help me, just like Annabelle," my mother's name made me zone back into the story. Tara reached over beside me and grabbed my hands under the table.

When Jax slammed his hand against the table I jumped and tears finally fell from out of my eyes as two thousand pounds of weight lifted off my shoulders. When he stood the chain on his pants scratched the kitchen chair, bringing us all to reality. Watching him walk over to his mother and kiss her hands reminded me that no matter how tough a man gets his heart is always there, beating inside. After holding onto Clay's shoulders he walked over to me, pulling me off my chair in a hug as his whispered in my ear.

"You're my sister now, even if not by blood, I promise you I will fight to help you're father as hard as you fought to help my mother, it's my word to you," he pressed his dry lips against my cheek and let my feet touch the ground out of the hug.

Everyone was straining to hear what had been said, but I knew it was words we'd keep for ourselves.

When Jax and Tara walked out the door I noticed Jax grab what looked like his patches out of the basket by the door. Gemma had gotten what she wanted, Jax back in Samcro.

"I'll let you two.." I began when the room was only the three of us. But before I knew what happened or could function my feet were back off the ground and I was holding the largest set of shoulder I could imagine. Clay.

"I'm so sorry," he spoke near my ear, rubbing my back with his mitt of hands. "I will get justice for you," he continued holding me, sniffling. Both of us were in tears. "I will spend the rest of my life protecting you," he kissed me again. "I do love you Grace," and he got close to my ear like Jax had. "And remember just keep swimming baby, you'll get to the sand one day,"

* * *

><p>AN: It's all out on the table now isn't it?<p>

I got a private message from a reader wanting to know why I didn't add more of what Samcro is up to in the story, and I just wanted my answer for everyone to see. None of the girls truly know whats going on in the club 100% and we know what they are doing if you've seen the show, so If you're not caught up to Season 3 might want to, well be there before you know it, If Grace lives that long. As the story progresses she might become privy to more things but for now I like it more being about Grace then Samcro.

Let me know you've view on this, if you've read this far!

- Lana


	8. Chapter 8

When I woke up the following morning it felt like I took my first deep breath in weeks; finally I didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing around Clay or Jax. I had the urge to skip to the dining room expecting to see a happy family of four sitting around cracking jokes and eating breakfast together. But I felt every muscle in my face droop as all I saw was Gemma and Tara siting at the table in a heated conversation.

"They need to own their pussy," Gem's sullen voice filled the large dining room.

"Do I want to know?" I asked while I walked over to the coffee pot.

"Gem thinks Clay is going to leave her," Tara informed me, running her fingers around her own coffee mug.

"Not leave me, just start fucking other women," she corrected the woman.

"I don't think that is going to happen Gem,"

"You two are so young, so naïve," she snapped at the two of us stubbing out her cigarette and storming out of the door grabbing her car keys, for a few minutes the only noise heard was the squawking of her annoying bird.

"So how are you?" Tara questioned while I joined her at the table.

"She's right, I'm naïve aren't I?" I added some sugar to my cup, "I thought when we woke up this morning it would all be over,"

"No, now we go to war," Tara took a deep breath, "They are going to get Zobelle,"

"What does that mean for us?" I questioned new to this whole thing.

"It means we do what they say and stay out of their way," she began thinking, "They can't do to much out in the open, not with them just getting out of jail,"

"They went to JAIL?" I questioned, clearly having missed something.

"While you were..wherever you were,"

"There really is never a dull moment around here is there?"

"Not so far," she laughed heading for the door, "I'll see you later okay?"

"Okay,"

A few minutes passed while I sat at the table stirring my coffee before the door behind me opened.

"Forget something?" I asked without looking assuming it was Tara or Gem.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Opie's voice jumped me causing me to bang my knees on the bottom of the table.

"What?" I questioned him getting up, looking at him, his face was red like he had ran over here.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" He more grunted than asked pining me in the corner of the counter.

"Opie, what are you talking about?" I should have been scared or at least nervous of a guy his size pushing me into a corner yelling at me, but I couldn't even force fear.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me Grace?" He repeated himself one more time.

"You need to calm down Op," I tried to reach up to his face but he flinched out of the way.

"They raped you!" he yelled punching the granite counter behind me, knocking over every glass in the process.

"Opie," I tried to get his attention again, finally he allowed my hand to make contact with his face. I was surprised to feel how soft his beard was against my hand as I began running my thumb up and down his cheek.

"Why?" I couldn't help the way my heart beat when I saw tears form in his eyes.

"I'm okay," I did a little wiggle hoping to add a comedic edge to the tense conversation, "All muscles intact."

"I would of killed them all," he brought his forehead down to meet mine.

"It's over Opie," I tried to smile at him but felt my eyes going crossed to meet his.

He pulled my wrists up to his mouth, kissing all the way around them, every place a stitch was leaving a scar.

"I'm not a china doll Op, I'm tougher than I look,"

"We will get revenge," no question was in his tone.

"And what does that mean for you Opie?" I pushed us apart, "Don't do anything stupid," Anger filled my bones, why couldn't they just forget it happened, let me forget it happened. "They weren't suppose to tell you," I whispered.

"I will never let anyone touch you again," he adjusted his beanie like usual and began towards the door.

"Wait Op!" I grabbed his rough hand, "Don't do anything stupid," he didn't say anything, just stood there with our hand connected, starring at them, "Promise me Op!" I tugged at his hand causing him to lose some sort of balance, pulling him back to this world.

"I can't do that," He pulled my hand up to kiss it and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Nerves filled my body as I pulled up to the community college a town over from Charming. It was something I knew I needed to do, be a attributing person in the world. Tara had made the decision even easier, watching her work she never looked more put together. All the club and old lady bull shit went out the door and she was just a doctor. I knew I wanted to do something like that, help someone other than myself, and the club's garage. But it also was a huge commitment, I was choosing to stay in Charming, be involved with the club and everyone in it.<p>

"Can I help you?" A dark skinned woman asked me at the front desk of the school.

"Yes I'm here to enroll," I gave her my best smile while adjusting my purse on my shoulder.

"Come right this way," she matched my smile standing up from the desk.

"What are you interested in doing darling?" She asked leading the way down the hall.

"Social work, I want to help kids," I felt confident in my confession.

* * *

><p>I knew something was wrong before I even parked my car at Teller-Morrow, it was an unexplainable feeling, I was gut wrenching nervous.<p>

But the moment my boots made a noise against the cement I heard fists against skin and yelling, the second my eyes connected who it was I took off running.

"Opie," I yelled to him where he had Tig pushed against a tow truck, punching him straight in the face, Tig was doing nothing to stop him, "Opie Stop!" I yelled louder the closer I got, but he continued on. I started hitting his back trying to pull the two apart, only catching bits and pieces of their argument.

"Opie STOP!" I finally did the only thing I could think of and jumped on his back, wrapping my feet around his waist, he was going to kill Tig at this rate.

"Hey, HEY!" was heard behind me, while a car door slammed, Jax.

I was still hanging off Opie trying to stop him when the rest of the club came running out, all questioning what happened.

Opie finally stopped ,noticing all the people around him, letting Tig slip to the ground, and giving me a chance to hop off his back. I quickly stood between him and Tig's disheveled body, pushing him against the chest away from the scene.

"What the fuck was that Opie?!" I questioned him continuing to push his chest.

"I'm getting out of here," he turned in the direction of his truck, "I've got something I've got to do," his tone alive with anger; the kind of anger nothing good came out of.

"You're taking me with," I informed him, following him towards the old tan truck.

"No you stay here," he snapped back turning back towards me.

"I'm going with," I shoved his chest passing him and climbing into the truck.

"If you stay in this truck Grace, you don't know what kind of shit you're getting involved with," He told me pulling the keys out of his pocket while he climbed into the cab, his knuckles were dripping blood all over his jeans.

"I trust you," I smiled at him, slipping on my sunglasses, "Now tell me what that was about," I buckled up as the truck lurched to life and started for the gate.

While we drove into town Opie began telling me about his late wife, Stahl, and how Clay and Tig had killed her.

"Opie, I'm so sorry," I didn't know what else to say, my stomach lurching knowing the man who was my flesh and blood had sat up a person to be killed, and then tried to live with the lie. I came to the realization that I knew nothing about Clay except what Gemma said about him, and even that was sparkling clean information.

"There she is," he muttered pulling over to the curb in town.

"Who?" I questioned, tucking my legs up under myself.

"Stahl," his teeth grit at the name.

I suddenly knew what we were up to.

"Opie, No!" I reached out grab him while he pushed the door on the drivers side open.

"Stay here," He slammed the door behind himself and took off around a corner.

I struggled with myself for about two point five seconds before hoping out of the truck myself, following in the direction he went in, only to be met with a fork in the road. Both physically and mentally. If I went after Opie this was it, I was involved, it felt like a cheesy Titanic moment, if he jumped I jumped, we'd both be in jail for the murder of a cop. I should turn around, get in my car and drive until I didn't remember anything about Samcro or Opie. If only my legs listened.

When I finally caught up to Opie he had the blonde cop pressed up against a car with his gun to her head, yelling at the woman, while he shook in emotion. I paused at the sight, would he really do it? I was behind the car, behind the cop, staring over her shoulder into Opie's face, his eyes not meeting mine. I couldn't hear what he was saying but I knew it couldn't be good as he pressed the gun closer to her head. Suddenly like off a movie he looked over her shoulder and into my eyes, where I was shaking my head at him, mentally begging him to stop, my eyes watering.

The unthinkable happened after that, he pulled the magazine out of the gun, handed it to her, muttered something in her ear and walked away, like he hadn't just had a gun to her head. His foot steps towards me matched my heart beat. To fast; he grabbed me by my arm dragging me back towards the tan truck.

"Opie..." I began but said nothing else not knowing what to say, but I knew what I needed to do.

Uncharacteristic I pushed him hard up against the truck, slamming my lips against his. Our hands began roaming all over each other's body, our mouths fighting for dominance. He pulled me even closer to him, lifting me while I wrapped my legs around his waist. I had never been more proud of someone for walking away from something like that. She deserved to die, and he had walked away, but I heard my own brain whisper, _"for now,"_

Eventually we had to pull away for air, but he didn't put me down as we gasped for air our chests rising and falling together.

"Wow," he said continuing to hold me, "I'll think twice before killing someone if I get that every time."

"What do you do now?" I asked him, knowing we couldn't stand her against this truck forever, he'd have to face Clay eventually.

"Right now I find Jax," he carefully dropped me to the ground and walked around the front of the truck to his side, and I copied him climbing into mine.

"Get over here," he laughed pulling me to the middle of the truck as we took off in the direction of Teller-Morrow.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay someone count how many times I said Opie in the chapter, and my word processor still won't accept I mean to spell it that way. LMAO.<p>

So we got a little Opie/Grace in this chapter, but in spirit of SOA that could change by tomorrow, literally!

Let me know what you think!

-LANA


	9. Chapter 9

"I wonder what Opie is going to do about Donna," Gem asked glaring out the window of the office towards the club house.

No one had asked any questions when Opie and I pulled up to Teller-Morrow together earlier, by then I had slugged over to my own side of the truck, the realization that I had thrown myself at him, I had only been around the croweaters for a month and I was already acting like them. Sure I cared about Opie, I didn't want him to kill Stahl or anyone else, I liked the way he looked, I liked the way he smelt,and the way my heart completely changed its rhythm when he was around, but I didn't know anything about him other than the fact that he had a dead wife and a porn star girlfriend; according to Tara.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, but I knew whatever it was it wouldn't be good.

"Opie belongs in this club," she confirmed more to herself than me.

I felt my heart rattle against my ribcage, "You knew?"

She didn't even have the nerve to look ashamed, just nodded her head.

"You knew that Clay and Tig killed his wife?" I spoke to her through gritted teeth.

"To keep this club together your father has to make some hard choices, Opie was turning out to be a rat," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Hasn't Opie been Jax's friend their whole life? You really thought he'd do that?"

"People change sweet heart, why do you care so much anyways?" She glared at me with accusing eyes.

"I'm just a little disgusted that I'm associated with murders," I began collecting my things,

angrily tossing them into the bag.

"You think Tig and Clay are the only ones with blood on their hands? What about Opie, Jax, Tara!" she questioned calmly watching me pack my purse. "What about your Mama?"

I turned to look at her, trying to think of my next sentence, but drawing a blank. My mother had been the sweetest person I knew, she was the kind of person to get punched in the face and apologize to the person for them hurting their hand.

"She wouldn't,she never even got a speeding ticket" I told myself aloud.

"She did what she had to do, for the club. Just like Clay and Tig did,"

They were murders, my parents, my DNA.

"Proofs in the pudding doll," she reached out for my hand, a hand I should of pulled away, but like an Idiot I followed her. She began pulling me to the club house, past where all the bikes were.

"Why are we going over here?" I questioned the older woman, taking note that Ope's truck was missing replaced with his bike.

"You've got to see it for yourself,"

"See what?" I asked while she pulled the heavy metal door open with no reply. I had been in the club house a few times for parties and some drinks but I'd never been their when it was just Samcro before, so when the door closed behind us I expected to see a bar full of men, but I was surprised to see it empty. What did these guys actually do?

Gemma continued dragging me towards the back of the club house, and pointed to a wall when she stopped.

A wall full of mug shots, the top row was guys I'd never seen before, but as I began scanning I started to recognize people.

Gemma, Clay, Jax, Chibs, Bobby, Juice, Tig, my stomach jerked as my eyes met Opie's pictures, all of them were there.

As I began turning to Gem to ask why she had to show me this my eyes met my own, but it wasn't attached to a picture of me, it was my mom. She was about twenty years younger than I remembered her, her deep chestnut brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun, like she had just missed her ballet recital, her tan skin was vibrant, healthy looking, honestly I had never seen her look more beautiful and she knew she looked good too, you could tell by the glint in her eye and the smirk on her mouth. The only thing wrong with the picture was a board of numbers and her orange jumpsuit.

My peace loving mother had a mug shot.

"She looked damn good didn't she?"Gem asked after she knew I had spotted the picture."We always hang up the best ones, you should of seen some of her others,"

She had more?

"What did she do?" I couldn't take my eyes off my mom.

"What she had too,"

"What are you two doing?" Jax came up behind us.

"Educating," Gem snapped at him, giving him a hint to mind his own business.

"Well then what did she have to do?" I turned and Jax was already gone.

"That doesn't matter," she began messing with her hair, "What does matter is that you, or your mother, were no better than the rest of us sweat heart, your mom was chest deep in it when she left, and I couldn't help but notice Opie was wearing a nice shade of lip gloss when you two got back, you're Samcro rather you like it or not. You might of not been raised in it, but you were born in it, and one day we'll need you too,"

"You'll need me ONE DAY?" I snapped, "Over the last month I've been fucking raped and blown up!"

"And you've handled them perfectly!" she smirked as a door opened, a collection of eyes stared out.

"Can we help you?" Gem asked towards the door.

I took the moment to storm away, passing Piney on the way out, the familiar sound of a bullet clicking into a gun followed him.

"HEY!" Tara yelled at me from the picnic table out front, I didn't stop and she didn't follow.

After I pulled out of my parking spot and began towards the gate I became even angrier as I passed a white Prius on it's way in. Opie's slut.

* * *

><p>Next Day<p>

"You got everything?" Tara asked as she pulled up beside me into a parking spot.

"I guess so!" I answered her hopping down off the trunk of my car where I had been waiting for her, "I don't really know what you need to go into hiding,"

"Yeah me either," she smiled passing me Abel in his car seat while she opened the trunk to her bags.

"Hey are you okay? Yesterday.." she began

"I'm fine," I lied.

The garage's parking lot was full of people running around, carrying bags and trying to direct their kids into the club house.

"Who are all these people?" I questioned her, bending over to slide Abel's hat on further.

"Friends and family of the club," a girl in a bandeau bra and hot pants ran by, "and entertainment," she noticed the girl too.

"Well I lied then, I forgot my candy thong," I smirked.

"Don't worry I brought two," we both began laughing as we followed the crowds into the club house.

Jax was the first person to notice us, he kissed Tara and approached me kissing my cheek; not saying anything but continued on greeting people.

I scanned the crowd trying to identify people I knew making a mental check note, making sure all of them had lived through the night, something I had never thought of doing in my life before.

Chibs was standing off by himself watching the crowd as well, but a huge smile passed over his face as he noticed me watching him.

His long legs got him in front of me in no time.

"You okay?" his deep accent rang in my head, " It looked like some pretty deep shit you and Gemma were in yesterday," he bent over to greet Abel.

"When is it not when Gem's involved?," I joked with him.

"Ain't that the truth lass," he joked right back.

"LISTEN UP!" Tig's voice vibrated off every wall in the club house.

I almost snorted as I watched Clay stand up on a stripper pole, his thunderous voice grabbing everyone's attention. He began telling everyone why they were there, without giving us any information at all, a basically generic speech which droned on in my head.

"People have already gotten hurt on my watch," I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment when Clay's dark eyes flashed to mine and Chib's large hand clapped my back. Why didn't they just point at me?

"Point is, I love you all, and that is why you are here,"

Claps came from everywhere as he hopped down off the platform and began greeting everyone.

"Where are you staying?" Tara questioned me, taking Abel's car seat from me.

"Um, I have no clue?" Was there a list floating around or something?

"I'll take that roomie," Chibs grabbed my bags off my shoulder, leaving me holding nothing.

"Roomie?" I asked following my bag.

"Yeah, Gem stuck you with me," he smiled walking down the hall. I started down the hall following the scot, afraid of what he might do with my toothbrush or underwear when a thick hand wrapped around my arm, turning me around.

"Why the hell are you staying with him?" Opie questioned, but the baby blue eyes behind his arm made me want to spit on the large man.

"Why does it matter Op? Let me go," I snarled at him pulling my arm out of his grasp.

"Who is she?" I heard a small voice behind me ask.

"Clay's daughter," Opie gave the blonde a generic answer.

* * *

><p>"Can I get you some coffee?" A dark haired woman asked Tara while refiling Gem's coffee. After a small argument with the woman Tara told her how she liked her coffee as the girl strolled away to make it.<p>

"I guess I'm chopped liver," We both laughed.

"They need to do that, it's a sign of respect, don't laugh it off," Gem informed Tara. "You're Jax Teller's old lady, and here, in this club, in this town that means something,"

"Yeah it means you're too damn lazy to get your own coffee," I whispered to Tara to which we both snorted.

* * *

><p>Things finally began to calm down after the club left out for the day, kids were surrounding the multiple TVs in the large room playing video games and the adults were keeping to themselves talking at small tables and at the bar. So I decided a nap would be in order as I couldn't find Gem or Tara.<p>

But about half way down the hall I heard a small sniffle from behind an open door. I followed the noise and moved the door to a little blonde boy crying.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked him getting down to his level.

"None of the other kids will play with me, I want to go home," he became hysteric, moving his hand up and down the clue box beside him.

"Oh it's okay, what's your name?" I asked him reaching out to wipe away his thick tears.

"Piper, what's yours?" he sniffled.

"Grace. You want to play clue?" I asked him pointing at the box.

"I wanted to but no one will play with me," he pouted.

"Well I'll play with you, but I'm not very good at it," I smiled at the small boy.

"I'll show you!" he jumped up like nothing had happened, board game in tow towards the tables in the main building.

I'd like to say I let the boy win, but after losing three games in a row I knew it wasn't true. This small boy was whooping my ass.

"You're really good at this Pipe," I smiled at the boy, taking a sip of a juice box I had gone to get both of us an hour ago. No matter how old I got a juice box was always good.

"Thanks, my mom taught me how to play," he smiled up at me, his blue eyes shining with pride. "You'd like my mommy, you both are pretty," I loved this boy.

"Is she here with you?" I asked Piper.

"Yes, she's with her friends," he nodded his head towards a table of Cara Cara girls, "Her name is Lyla," he beamed up at me. I instantly knew who his mother was from the paper work on the white Prius. Piper's mother was the girlfriend to a guy I was making out with just yesterday, I instantly felt sick.

As things would go in my life, I heard Pipers name behind me, the soft voice from earlier asking who I was.

"Mom, this is my friend Grace, she is playing Clue with me," he stated the obvious for his mother in the cute way kids could.

"Well don't bother her Piper," she began towards him picking up his juice box.

"He's not bothering me, really," I did my best to smile at her. " There isn't much else to do,"

"Tell me about it," she smiled; guilt filled my gut.

"Wanna play with us Mommy?" he questioned his mother but slid over making room for her without an answer. "You can be miss scarlet,"

Fitting.

* * *

><p>I liked her. I really liked her dammit. I had spent the last couple of hours laughing more than I had in years with the young mother and her son. With every laugh I felt more and more guilty, at all the things I had called her in my head, all the things me and Tara had called her in private conversation.<p>

"So you're Clay's daughter?" She asked while we sat up our fifth game.

"Yeah, I found out recently," I had been silently praying she didn't ask me about Opie for hours now.

"He seems..nice," she tried to smile at her statement.

"I wouldn't know," I told her honestly.

"How old are you?" she asked helping Piper with his cards.

"Nineteen, you?" I started sorting mine.

"Twenty Four," she had Piper a year younger than I was now, I couldn't imagine taking care of someone twenty four seven even at my age.

Which caused me to like her even more.

After another two games Piper was asleep with his head on the table and we were just sitting over the board game talking.

"I know who you are," she blurted out.

"You do?" I questioned not sure what she was talking about.

"He talks about you a lot, I don't even think he knows he does it," she kept a smile on her face.

" I.." I didn't know what to say.

"Me and him aren't serious," she continued on. "I think when we met he was looking for anything to grasp on to, Donna had just died and he was in a bad place," she didn't blink looking into my eyes. "Even then he talked about you all the time, how good of a person you were, how strong you were,"

"I'm not a good person," I confessed to her.

"Yes you are," she smiled again. "You knew who I was when I came over to play, you didn't scoff at me or call me names, you saw a little boy crying and did whatever it took to make him stop," she looked over at her sleeping son.

"Me and Opie will never be anything," I tried to promise her.

"Just know, no hard feelings if it does,"

Why did she have to be a good person?

"It's late, I better get him to bed," she looked at the clock, it was 11 at night.

"Hey Lyla," I began. "Why?"

I hoped she knew what I meant, I couldn't get the words out. Why was she okay with Opie and I.

"Because, I care about Opie,but I think it's just friendship and the kind of compassion you showed my son, is only the best that I can hope for Opie." She lifted up her son and started caring him down the hall.

"You know who that was right?" Tara asked from behind me." That is the slut Opie is with," I felt myself frown.

"I like her," I informed Tara.

"You like Opie better," she whispered in my ear while all the Club came in through the door, dark looks on their faces, and walked towards the bar for a drink.

"Happy is here," Tara tilted her head in the direction of a bald man in a cut.

"Is that suppose to mean something to me?" I had never seen the man before today.

"It should, you two were attached at the lips two weeks ago," she nudged my shoulder with hers; while the man is question looked over at me and smiled a creepy smile.

* * *

><p>AN: So what now? She likes Lyla <strong>(one of my favorite Characters on SOA)<strong> but clearly she likes Opie too. Welcome to between a rock and a hard place.

Let me know what you think! I got a lot of PM's about last chapter with Opie yelling at me, and I couldn't help but laugh, I don't even know where I'm going with this story, she may run away with Tara in the end, who knows. LOL. But for now this is an Opie based fan fictions, so eventually there will be more Opie/Grace. Maybe =)

-LANA


	10. Chapter 10

A beam of sunlight was my first sight for that morning, shortly followed by Chibs face, his salt and pepper hair covering half of it. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the tough ass Scot wrapped around his pillow drooling. My snorting laugh quickly woke him up too, he jumped when his eyes met mine.

"I didn't know I looked that bad in the morning," I hit him with the back of my hand.

"For a minute I thought Opie was in bed with me, the hat and everything," he rested his hand against my head and I should of felt his skin against mine; but that never happened.

I adjusted till I was on my back and I was quickly met with a mirror reflection of myself.

"Really?" I questioned Chibs looking at the mirror on the ceiling.

"I like to make sure I look good during sex," he joked, or at least I hoped it was a joke. I frowned when I realized I had Opie's beanie on my head.

"How did I end up with Opie's hat?" I looked at Chibs through the mirror, he was also staring at us.

"You and Tara fell asleep in a booth last night, Opie carried you in here, I guess you stole his hat," he shrugged his shoulders.

"At least it wasn't Clay carrying me home this time,"

"He cares, he just has a hard time showing it, He never showed it with Jackie either," I hadn't decided if Chibs calling Jax Jackie was cute or creepy yet. "Now, the lack of love he received from him is a child is making him question things as an adult,"

Deep words from a man that on the street you would of crossed to avoid.

"Have I told you that you're my favorite?" I questioned the Scot, still watching him in the mirror. He ran his hands over his scarred face, another attribute that should cause fear, but on him, it made him human, reachable; and sexier if you asked me.

"I'm everyone's." he smiled, while he reached over pulling Opie's hat off my head. "Best not show up with that on your head love, Lyla would probably want to fight, and I'd hate to hurt a woman to defend my queen," Queen. A term Chibs had started using for me about two weeks ago, The Queen of Destruction.

"I'm a lot tougher than I look," I held up my arm, jokingly, knowing no bicep would form."Besides I like Lyla,"

"Alright love," he smirked, his scars making it probably the best smirk of all time, "But don't think you're fooling Uncle Chibs, I see the way you two look at each other," he held Opie's hat back up in his hand.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I flipped him off, still in the mirror.

"Lets get some breakfast first, then we'll think about it," he continued that smile.

When Chibs and I finally got ready and made it too the main room most everyone was in there.

"Gracie!" Tara yelled out patting the seat beside her like we were in a high school cafeteria.

"Well this is where we part Queenie," Chibs leaned over to kiss my temple and began following a girl in tiny shorts.

"Morning Darlin," Gemma greeted me as I sat between the women.

"Morning."

I quickly began fixing a plate, listening to the different conversations going on when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Quickly I turned around to see Piper behind me.

"Morning Pipe," I smiled at him, he looked adorable in his footy pajamas and sleepy face.

"Mommy's not up yet," he stated.

"Well sit with me we'll get something to eat," I slid over on the chair making room for his small butt.

Gemma, the mom she was, already began fixing the small boy some cereal, making small talk with him.

"Did you sleep well baby?" She asked the blonde boy.

"Mommy and Opie were arguing, and then this s''mornin his snoring woke me up," I felt anger boil in my blood. Hadn't it been just yesterday that she told me she wanted me to be with Opie, and then they slept together? I gripped my fork with so much force I thought it would bend, wishing it would. While the calmer side of my head began arguing that me and Opie were nothing, and I needed to stop being a jealous bitch. This morning the calm Grace won out.

"Hey Later you want to play clue?" Piper asked me pulling me out of my inner monolog; quickly he brought a smile to my face, his little red cheeks were covered in grape jelly and he was rocking a milk mustache.

"Maybe, I've got some things to do today, remind me tho," I took a napkin from the table an began wiping his cheeks.

I felt Tara tap me with her leg, tilting her head in the direction of the hall, as Piper yelled out to his mom.

Lyla began scanning the room looking for her son, her hand wrapped around Opie's large mitt of a hand, and when she met the two of us in the same chair she smiled, waving at her son with one hand, and I couldn't help but notice she ripped her other hand out of Opie's rather roughly;and he didn't seem to care. But it could have been my imagination.

"Morning Baby, did you get something to eat," Lyla's voice always sicking sweet questioned her son.

"I didn't know where to sit, so I found Grace and Ms. Gemma," he was covered in grape jelly again.

"You're always safe with us baby," Gemma informed the small boy.

Lyla smiled in Gemma's direction, but only for seconds; for some reason I couldn't blame her, Gemma was all about Samcro. If for some reason the club needed the small boy dead, she wouldn't hesitate, she'd pull the trigger.

"Well this had been lovely," I joked with the girls surrounding me as I stood, "But I'm going to go get ready for the day,"

"HEY!" I heard yelled down the hall behind me, my heart began beating a thousand miles an hour, but at this point I wasn't sure if it was anger or excitement.

"What Opie?" I asked turning around.

"Why are you reading that?" He took the last steps to be in front of me.

"What are you talking about?" he looked up and down the hall before he began leading me down the hall.

"Where are we going Opie," he didn't say anything as he lead me to the room I was staying in Chibs with; as we stepped inside he slammed the door behind us.

"Opie.." I began.

"Why are you reading this?" He picked up my purse by the door and pulled the manuscript out of the large bag.

"Um, it something I came across," I lied, not wanting to rat Tara out.

"This is club shit," he shook the binder at me, "I don't want you involved," his voice quickly softened.

" Opie, it's not like it means anything,"

"It means something Grace, if Gemma or Clay catch you with this, it means something,"

"I kept it hidden, why were you in my purse?" I questioned the giant.

"When I carried you in here last night you're purse fell over, How much did you read?"

"I finished it," I admitted.

"Damn it, I don't want you in this shit," he turned away from me.

"I'm already involved, I'm in hiding in some fucking club house," I turned him around with all my might, " Stuck here with your girlfriend and her son, everything you guys touch, even look at becomes involved, ya'll are like a tornado, sucking everything in it's path with it," my southern twang coming out with my anger.

"When this is over, you need to get out of here, away from Clay and away from Charming,"

The fire in my body from before felt like an ice bath compaired to now.

"First off," I poked him in the chest with my finger, "You don't tell me what to do, Second I've tried leaving and got sent right back," I confessed.

"I need you to be safe," he tucked a piece of my stray hair behind my ear.

"What is going on out there Op?" I questioned, "All these people, kids, need to be in hiding?"

"Were not playing with guys who like to call the cops and get you in trouble Grace, we are messing with guys who rape and blow up people,"

"So far those people have been me," I tried to joke, but you could see the severity of the conversation in the air.

"Exactly, it won't happen again." he seemed like he was trying to make a promise, "I've got to go get ready," he turned towards the door.

"Op," I grabbed him, holding him in place, "Be careful..please,"

"I'll try," he stood awkwardly in place. I noticed through his shirt you could see a holster, which I assumed was holding guns.

"I've got your hat," I began scanning the room looking for where Chibs had thrown it.

"Keep it, I'll come get it when I'm back," he started, pointing at his head covered in a blue bandana.

"Promise?" I held out my small pinky. I didn't know why but I felt tears welding.

"Promise," he wrapped his thick pinky around mine, bending down to kiss me on the cheek. But my being one to cause drama for myself moved my cheek just in time to press our lips together, not a true kiss but longer than a peck.

"Keep that promise,"

* * *

><p>At almost two in the morning the club house was full but no one was drinking, partying or really even talking.<p>

They should have been back by now. I self consciously felt myself running my hands down my pinky, hoping that somehow it would make Opie magically appear through that door, and that's what I did for two more hours.

At three thirty Most everyone including Lyla went to bed.

By Four A.M the only people left up were the old ladies, left over club members and me. Tara and I had been staring at each other for hours, at a round table with Gemma, who had a sleeping Abel on her lap.

"Where are they?" Tara questioned the three of us.

"They'll be here doll," Gemma didn't sound to sure herself.

At Five sounds of motorcycles were heard in the parking lot, the sound of the all the women in the rooms hearts could be heard, beating the same thunderous beat. Was this the glamorous life of an old lady? Sitting waiting to see if her man lived through the night, thinking about what to tell there kids if something was to happen.

Had my mother been one of the women sitting here waiting on Clay man years ago?

The club door flew open, Clay walking in first followed by Jax, both of them went to their prospective ladies, one by one they came in, my stomach dropped noticing Opie was missing.

My pocket vibrated as I began to panic.

'Come outside,' I didn't take a moment to process what the meant, and I didn't tell anyone where I was going.

"Opie?" I questioned to the dark parking lot, not sure where he was.

"Yeah?" he asked sitting on his motorcycle. I should have been embarrassed as I jogged over to his bike and wrapped myself around his strong body and tears from sitting in silence began falling.

"Hey, I promised didn't I?" he tried to laugh, hearing my sniveling, " Come with me," he stood up grabbing my hand, pulling me towards the side of the club house. "That was too easy," he said as he stood by a ladder, "You didn't ask where we were going,"

"I don't care, I trust you,"

But why? He was clearly a cheating, angry, revengeful, club member, but from the moment I saw him all those weeks ago I trusted him right away.

He pointed to the ladder, wanting me to go first, at the top there was nothing glamorous just more concrete.

Opie was right on my heels climbing over the side of the building as I turned to look for him.

"How did everything go?"

"I don't want to talk about the club right now,"

"Well what then?" I smiled even though he couldn't see me yet.

"Nothing," he pulled me down onto the roof, sitting against a heater and putting me between his legs holding me.

"What are we doing up here then Ope?" I questioned wiggling into him.

"Wait for it,"

We sat there for what must have been an hour but felt like five minutes watching the sun rise.


End file.
